Aloha is a four-man indie, post-rock band fond of the vibraphone, an instrument with a similar sound to the xylophone. voxpoptart recommended them to me, and knowing his idiosyncratic tastes, I knew I was in for something rather unusual. Sure enough, Aloha's 2002 effort, Sugar, was really a change of pace - even for my bizarre ears.
Beginning with "Fractures," I could tell this group is willing to experiment. At first, there is an airy ambient, almost Eno-ish quality; in time, chiming sounds come into play, along with tribal drums, each gradually in succession.
"They See Rocks" is more along the lines of dream pop: singer Parker Cale's voice, which could be termed as Steven Wilson lite, blends in with the soundscape and irregular rhythms, although it's to the point where the interesting lyrics get obscured at times: "Oh, send me in the air / And in a ray of light, hold it in your head / I'm convinced your dream is something richer than a man could ever picture." There's almost a prog rock vibe going on in some spots, mixing nicely with the dream pop. Given that I've seen several sources classifying Aloha as a post-rock band, I am not entirely surprised; post-rock is a more modern-friendly term than prog, but the styles share a predilection for atypical chord progressions and a greater variety of instruments played than what we typically associate with rock music (not that the members of Aloha shy away from guitars: they don't; they're just in the forefront as much).
Those surprising chords pop up again in "Let Your Head Hang Low," which is higher-pitched than what preceded it, yet within the framework given. Cale provides a jazzy drum sequence in the song's latter half, pounding away without being grating, and the lyrics are easier to understand this time: "And we're all downstream from somebody else's dream / And we're all downwind when the ash picks up again / And we all ought to go where the exiled people go / Their bonfires burn your bones."
"Balling Phase" is where their formula really starts sinking in - but even so, it's nonetheless made distinctive with antsy verse beats waiting for the perfect opportunity to release their latent energy, which is in the chorus. A short instrumental section amplifies their love of the vibraphone, meeting it with a ravaging guitar solo. A quieter, but still angular guitar bit repeats as the work slowly fades.
Other fine points of Sugar include "Thieves All Around Us" with its swirly, light cymbal taps, and "Dissolving," where peaceful background sounds combine with steady drum thrashing for a mysterious result.
I wasn't as enthused about "Protest Song" and "I Wish No Chains Upon You." Retreading familiar patterns already explored on the album, "Protest Song" essentially brings nothing new to the table save for freakish laser sounds in the close; had I listened to this independent of the rest of the album, it might have caught my attention more, but I already had grown accustomed to their preferred vein. As for the other one, in spite of the pleading vocals, I fal to get excited since the music feels like it's suck in neutral in spite of the melodies being technically catchier than some of the other songs on here.
While it may not stay atop my all-time listening favorites, I must say however that Sugar was mostly enjoyable. It's fun to listen to a band willing to push more traditional boundaries of rock music. They could push it even further if they liked, to be honest; I'm open to listening to more of them in time. After a few listens to this one, I affirmatively recommend Aloha.
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